in this picture

I've been posting sporadically lately (talked about this yesterday), and I realize that it wouldn't hurt to re-offer myself permission to play here in blog-land not take it all so seriously.

It's not that I take it SERIOUSLY seriously; it's not as if I'm always trying to write about things of deepiosity, but I do feel like I have a responsibility of some sort or another when I'm writing here. Not sure I know what that means entirely ... a responsibility to myself, to my friends who read, to the people who I write about who may not read (and may not know that i'm writing about them). I suppose I also feel like there's a responsibility to be truthful; to not write bullshit (unless i'm doing it on purpose); to offer my own brand of deepiosity about life and infinity and such things when warranted; and to offer some entertainment value (cause really, who but a handful good friends would read a blog unless they found something deep/compelling/relate-able/interesting/entertaining about it).

But every now and then I get into an off-rut and wind up stuck. (y'think?) Sometimes - and particularly if it's been a while between postings - it's harder to get going, or I don't know what the hell to write about. (or both.) (i hate it when that happens.)

And this is REALLY funny, because I actually facilitate writing groups that focus on practice, exploration and inspiration, so I know there are always skillions of things to write about, and skillions of different ways to dive into them. And somehow I still get to this place like every other writer (oh my god, you mean i'm not special?) where I want my stuff to be good and impactful more than I want to just WRITE and get stuff out there.

So, building on yesterday's momentum, and following my own lead/advice, I decided to try a prompt that I've used in my groups over the years. (probably not a bad idea for me to do this regularly just to keep the flow flowing ...)

(i invite interested bloggers to play if they wish; post your response on your blog and comment/leave a link ... )

Here's the prompt: Imagine a photo ... it could be of you; it could be of family or a friend. It could be from a picture in a magazine or a photo of someone you don't even know. Just take a deep breath and see what images float to the surface - don't try too hard - and once you've got a picture in your head, use this line to start and just see where it takes you: In this picture ...

In this picture you're facing the sun with a look on your face that ought to be next to the word 'content' in a dictionary.

I knew you loved the sun and the sea, but this was the first time I'd ever seen it on you. It didn't matter that we were in Santa Monica and the sounds from the pier were often louder than the sound of the surf ... as you sat there and melted into it, the ocean became you and you became it. I'd never seen anyone who responded to the sea the same way I did. (and neither had you.) It was gorgeous and delicious and everything seemed to expand as we sat there barely talking, soaking up the late afternoon sun and feeling like we could hear the universe saying "yes."

And now it's 32 degrees in New Jersey at the end of Jan uary, 2007, but I am back there too ... back on that beach in California in the summer of 1995, feeling the sun expand in my chest, hearing the universe say "yes," and seeing your face. And all because Van sang that song again.

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Oh, Deb, doesn't it just suck when we can't take our own advice about how get ourselves started writing? I just have to say (in Snoopy's words) Bleah! But in spite of yourself, you did write a blog entry and even wrote a nice little piece to a prompt. I'll try it and let you know how it works out.

Thanks for the great beach photos. I lived in Santa Cruz for a year and now I'm landlocked in Colorado where there's been snow on the ground for 7 bleeping weeks. Damn I miss the Pacific!

I love your blog. Keep writing and I'll keep reading.
v

Posted by: Verna Wilder | February 04, 2007 at 11:31 PM

Deb, you write beutifully, thank you for leaving a comment on my blog so that I could see your blog. I enjoyed reading it. I'm sure your journals are a treasure!

Posted by: Rosa Murillo | January 30, 2007 at 03:11 PM